Mold shut-off and riser arrangement



Dec. 29, 1964 E, Q. SYLVESTER MOLD SHUT-OFF AND RISER ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet l w Filed 001:. 6, 1961 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent Ofiice 3,162,912 Patented Dec. 29, 1964 This invention relates generally to the art of casting metals and more specifically to gate assemblies employed in conjunction with molds for preventing reverse flow of metal out or the filled mold cavity.

Presently it is conventional practice to provide, in a mold arrangement, a gate assembly at one end of the mold arrangement and a separate riser arrangement disposed at the opposite end of the mold with respect to the gate asembly for creating a reservoir of molten metal which serves to continually supply an additional quantity of molten metal to the mold cavity during solidification of the casting.

Such general arrangements as above usually result in additional preparatory operations intermediate the pouring of the cast article and ultimate use thereof as, for example, the cutting off of metal at both ends of the casting in order to remove the undesirable metal solidified in each of the gate and riser arrangements.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a combined gate and riser assembly which not only serves to prevent reverse flow of molten metal, but also supplies additional quantities of molten metal to the mold cavity during solidification of the casting.

Another object of this invention is to provide a gate assembly which is formed in sections each of which may be individually secured to the mold structure in a manner permitting simultaneous asesmbly and/or disassembly thereof whenever the respective coacting mold sections are so assembled or disassembled.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a riser structure which is adaptable to a plurality of different sized mold structures.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent when reference is made to the following written description taken in conjunction with the illustrations wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a gate and riser assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention and assembled to a mold arrangement illustrated in partial cross-section;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the gate and riser assembly illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view in partial cross-section illustrating another embodiment of the invention, and

FlGURE 4 is an elevational, cross-sectional view of a modification of the invention.

Certain details are omitted in one or more figures for purposes of clarity.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, FIG- URE 1 illustrates a gate and riser assembly 1i) suitably secured as by means of bolts 12 to a mold assembly 14 which may be comprised of conventional cope and drag portions 16 and 18 cooperating with a suitable end piece 2%) in defining a mold cavity 22. Any suitable clamping means may be employed for maintaining the sections of the mold assembly against each other.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the gate and riser assembly as comprising upper and lower assemblies 24 and 26, respectively, which are mated together in predetermined align ment as by means of cooperating guide pins 28 and holes 39.

The lower assembly 26 is preferably comprised of a steel locating and retaining ring 32 secured to the outer housing portion 34 as by means of bolts 36 in a manner so as to be urged upwardly against a graphite member 38. A second graphite member 40 placed'atop member 38 serves to support a layer of firebrick 42 which form a bottom bed of the general cavity 44 defined within the assembly 10.

Conduit 45, defined by tubular tile 46 retained within the graphite members 38 and 4t communicates at one end with the frusto-conical recess 48 formed in member 32, and terminates in the seat 50 formed as by the firebricks 42.

The upper assembly 24 is comprised of an outer housing 52 containing therein a firebrick lining 54 which is preferably formed to provide a generally conical chamber 56, which is of smaller diameter at the top, adapted to receive therein a disposable sand core insert 58. Passage 60, formed in the core 58, slidably receives a stopper rod 62 which has one end suitably secured to a stopper 64. The other end of rod 62 projects upwardly through a guide assembly 66 comprised of a bottom cover plate 68, a vertically extending tubular guide portion 70 and suitable reinforcing gussets 72. The entire guide assembly 66 may, of course, be secured to housing 54 by means of suitable bolts or clamps urging the cover plate 68 downwardly. If desired, passage 60 may be provided with a paper sleeve member therein for frictionally engaging and receiving therethrough, rod 62. An upwardly extending chamber 74, formed within core 58, communicates with the mold cavity 22 as by means of funnellike passageway 76 the upper and side walls of which may be composed of a clay-graphite mixture, if desired. Housing 52 of the upper assembly 24 is secured to the end member '78 of the frame structure 80 generally surrounding and supporting the cope section 16 of the mold assembly. Likewise, housing 34 is secured to the end member 82 of the cooperating drag section 18. A-suitable seal 84, such as an asbestos gasket, may be provided about the passageway '76.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a pressure responsive device such as a pneumatically actuated piston and cylinder assembly 86 may be provided atop a pedestal structure 88 secured to the upper housing 52. The piston rod 90 may, of course, be in in axial alignment with stopper rod 62 so as to cause the rod and stopper 64 to move downwardly against the coacting seat 50 whenever termination of flow therethrough is desired.

During actual operation, as when a pressurized ladle assembly schematically illustrated at 92 is joined by means of a pouring tube 94 to the adapter and retainer ring 32, molten metal is caused to flow through conduit 45, past the stopper 64 which is in an elevated position, through passageway 76 and into the mold cavity 22. Such pouring is continued even after cavity 22 is filled until such time that cavity 74 is filled to some predetermined level. When cavity '74 is so filled, piston assembly 86 is actuated causing rod 62 and stopper 64 to move downwardly against seat 50 thereby terminating flow therethrough. As the metal in cavity 22 star-ts to solidify, the molten metal in chamber '74 is fed to cavity 22 in order to compensate for possible shrinkage of the casting therein.

After the casting in cavity 22 is solidified, the cope section 16 of mold assembly 14 may be raised enabling re moval of the casting. It should be noted at this time that upper assembly 24, by virtue of being secured to cope 16, will also be simultaneously raised with cope section 16.

One of the first and possibly most apparent advantage of the invention is that the gate and riser assembly is always secured to the mold assembly thereby overcoming the necessity of always securing it to the mold prior to pouring and removing it prior to opening of the mold. Other advantages do, of course, exist. For example, the

'provision of separate members 38 and 4% enable dimensional adjustment. That is, if in certain applications it is. found that a longer or shorter conduit 45 is required, either additional spacers or a member of shorter length can be added to or substituted for member 38. Additionally, if required, a diiierent adapter may be substituted for'mernber 32, if the need should arise. All of these modifications are possible without the necessity of any major re-work on the entire assembly 18.

Another important advantage is the provision of the disposable sand core 53. This enables the continual re- 'use of the riser portion of assembly 10 by thev mere insertion of another sand core. Such sand cores may, of course, be produced in advance and used as required.

FIGURE 3illustrates a modification of the inventionas disclosed by FIGURES l and 2. That is, the cover -'plate 68 of guide assembly 66 is now secured to a generally cylindrical extension 96 which in turn is suitably secured to housing 52. By providing such'an extension,

it is possible to still further vary the volume of cavity $3 of a sand core 16% as by increasing the height thereof.

FIGURE 4, in which all elements like or similar to those of either FIGURES 1 or 2 are identified with like 'reference numbers, illustrates a modification of the invention wherein a slide cut-off assembly M32 is used instead of the stopper 6470f FIGURE 2. Accordingly, the sand core insert we is formed without a passageway 'into mold cavity 22 and chamber 112 of sandcore 1534.

Although but three embodiments of the invention have beeh disclosed and described, it is apparent that other modifications are possiblewithin the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mold structure comprising, in combination, a mold assembly including a cope and a drag defining therebetween a cavity shaped for forming the desired molded article and having a lateral opening through the assembly, and a pouri-ng-gate-riser assembly mounted laterally to the mold assembly and having a bottom pouring conduit, and also having a riser communicating With and rising from said pouring conduit to a height above said cavity, and further having a passageway communicating between the lower portion of the riser and the cavity through said lateral opening, and stopper means operably mounted in the pouring-gate-riser assembly for shutting off said pourtherein for the reception of a stopper rod since actuation "of the slide assembly results in transverse movement ing conduit and including at least a control portion ex tending to the exterior of the mold structure.

2. The invention set out in claim 1 wherein said stopper means includes a vertical plunger movable downwardly into shut-off engagement with the upper extremity of the pouring conduit. V

3. The invention set out in claim 1' wherein said stopper means includes a transversely slidable member.

4. A mold structure comprising, in combination, a mold assembly including separable cope and drag defining therebetween a cavity shaped for forming the desired molded article and having a lateral opening through the assembly, and a pouring-gate-riser assembly including separable upper and lower sub-assemblies detachably mounted to the cope and drag respectively in position laterally of the mold assembly, said upper sub-assembly and cope together being separable as a connected unit from said lower sub-assembly and drag which together also form a connected unit, the pouring-gate-riser assembly having a'bottom pouring conduit, and also having a riser communicating with and rising from said pouring conduit to a height above said cavity, and further having a passageway communicating between the lower portion of the riser and the cavity through said lateral opening, said lower sub-assemblyhaving a bounding portion defining the lower limit of said cavity and passageway, and stopper means operably mounted in the pouring-gate-riser assembly for shutting offsaid pouring conduit and including at least a control portion extending to the exterior of the mold structure. v v

5. The invention set out in claim 4 wherein said boundingportion of the lower sub-assembly includes a plurality of relatively vertically disposed interengaging members, the bottom one of which is separable from the remaining, and separable retainer means is included for detachably securing said bottom member in position, whereby to enable substitution of diiterent sized such bottom members to effect vertical dimensional adjustment of said bounding portion. t i

6. The invention set out in claim 4 wherein said upper sub-assembly includes a structural mass surrounding said riser and having a top opening, and a top cover plate is detachably mounted over saidtop opening, whereby to enable interposition of detachable tubular extension between the body of the sub-assembly and'cover plate to effect vertical dimensional adjustment of said riser.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,032,841 Sylvester May 8, 

4. A MOLD STRUCTURE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A MOLD ASSEMBLY INCLUDING SEPARABLE COPE AND DRAG DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A CAVITY SHAPED FOR FORMING THE DESIRED MOLDED ARTICLE AND HAVING A LATERAL OPENING THROUGH THE ASSEMBLY, AND A POURING-GATE-RISER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING SEPARABLE UPPER AND LOWER SUB-ASSEMBLIES DETACHABLY MOUNTED TO THE COPE AND DRAG RESPECTIVELY IN POSITION LATERALLY OF THE MOLD ASSEMBLY, SAID UPPER SUB-ASSEMBLY AND COPE TOGETHER BEING SEPARABLE AS A CONNECTED UNIT FROM SAID LOWER SUB-ASSEMBLY AND DRAG WHICH TOGETHER ALSO FORM A CONNECTED UNIT, THE POURING-GATE-RISER ASSEMBLY HAVING A BOTTOM POURING CONDUIT, AND ALSO HAVING A RISER COMMUNICATING WITH AND RISING FROM SAID POURING CONDUIT TO A HEIGHT ABOVE SAID CAVITY, AND FURTHER HAVING A PASSAGEWAY COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE RISER AND THE CAVITY THROUGH SAID LATERAL OPENING, SAID LOWER SUB-ASSEMBLY HAVING A BOUNDING PORTION DEFINING THE LOWER LIMIT OF SAID CAVITY AND PASSAGEWAY, AND STOPPER MEANS OPERABLY MOUNTED IN THE POURING-GATE-RISER ASSEMBLY FOR SHUTTING OFF SAID POURING CONDUIT AND INCLUDING AT LEAST A CONTROL PORTION EXTENDING TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE MOLD STRUCTURE. 